BlogCatalog

What has BlogCatalog done now? Here I am, getting ready for tonight's BlogCatalog Spotlight posting, looking forward to browse my favorite "Academic" category, only to find that it's now a "Education and Learning" category, and the Science category, which used to be a category of its own, is now incorporated into "Education and Learning". What gives? Obviously, someone at BlogCatalog decided to do some house cleaning, I only wish they had told me first. Anyway, time to browse the new "Education and Learning" category to see what the search for the ultimate blog brings up this time.

This week, I’m spotlighting an issue in Mom-and Dad-blogging that has erupted and calmed several times in past months: the delicate-but-growing relationship between parent-bloggers and corporations. It is not an easy relationship to define, or even to write about with clarity. But bloggers, including BlogCatalog bloggers, are giving it their best shot.

For many of us, the September 30 twitterstorm that pitted bloggers, breastfeeding proponents, and social justice advocates against Nestle corporation, was an eye-opener. It began when Nestle hosted 20 bloggers for an all-expense paid visit to intensively market the Nestle product and thus gain a share in the increasingly vocal mom- and dad-blogger social network.

The company created a twitter hashtag (#nestlefamily) to help panelists tweet about the event and to enable the tracking of information related to their PR efforts. As the event began, bloggers concerned with Nestle’s corporate practices in the developing world made their voices heard with numerous tweets under the same hashtag. They spoke specifically about nutrition concerns, Nestle’s violation of World Health Organization guidelines for the marketing of infant formula, the company’s ties to repressive regimes, and the use of child slave labor in cocoa production. As a result of these complaints, Nestle products have been subject to boycott on and off since the late 1970's.

Nestle officials (and the mom- and dad-bloggers involved on the PR panel) were caught off-guard by the speed with which the #nestlefamily criticism took off. The demographic they were trying to reach was being turned against them with the same social networking tools Nestle sought to exploit. The response from many mothers was immediately critical and several exchanges got ugly. Still, weeks later, Nestle is trying to do damage control.

In the days after the #nestlefamily controversy, BlogCatalog mom-bloggers sounded off about the controversy itself, the uses of social media in mom-blogging, and most importantly, lessons learned. And now, quietly, the issues that were important enough for bloggers on both sides to do battle over have calmed again.

But I wonder whether the big issues have been resolved...

Do we know more now about how to manage the relationship between our role as writers and good parents and the large corporations and small businesses who seek us out to market their products?

Product review is an increasing share of the mom-blogger post count, so questions about what responsibility a blogger takes on when speaking for a corporation are valid and important. Bloggers, especially parent-bloggers, are no longer just grappling with issues involving which advertising platform to use. Instead, we are promoting each other with javascript badges and blogs dedicated solely to promotion. We attend marketing conferences.  We enter contests and host giveaways as a way to get something we don’t have – something we’ve convinced ourselves we so desperately need. A new washer & dryer. A cleaner clean. A whiter white. The Clorox Toilet Wand (for crying out loud!)  And traffic.  Lots of traffic.

We are selling ad space and using our writing talents to market products.  Why?

Is this what we started out to do?  Is this why moms blog?

What are the trade-offs of going from mom-blogger to marketer and back again?  And how does one navigate the web of expectations (even the unspoken ones) when dealing with corporate sponsors?

Please weigh in and share your experience.  It's time to hash out these issues without the heat or a hashtag.

While in Las Vegas for BlogWorld Expo 2009, some of the BC team had a chance to go to the amazing Stirling Club to meet up with bloggers Jason Falls, The Bloggess and Jay Ehret as well as Rich Becker and Hadley Thom from Copywrite Ink. I, and the rest of the BC team, wanted to take just a minute and say thank you to all of the people who made our evening so enjoyable.

I first want to thank the Stirling Club for an amazing evening. It was, overall, one of the best meals I have had in a very long time. The food, the service and the atmosphere were all excellent. A special thanks goes out to our waiter who made arrangements for a last-minute arrival and helped us take a couple group shots too.

Second, I want to sincerely thank Rich Becker for both his continued support of BC and BloggersUnite projects and his efforts in setting up this meal. Without you, Rich, this great night would not have been possible.

Finally, I want to thank Jason, Jay and the Bloggess for taking time out of their busy BlogWorld schedules to come share a meal with us. It was truly a pleasure getting to know each of you and being able to share a few stories and a few laughs. Hearing your insights on the opportunities we plan to bring to bloggers in the future was invaluable. I hope that we have the chance to meet again in the future and, in the meantime, wish you all the best.

This year at BlogWorld 09, BlogCatalog introduced HalfHourMeals.com and Broowaha.com--two sites that will give bloggers another outlet for their writing and the opportunity to share their writing with more specific audiences. HalfHourMeals.com is a place where anyone can come and find quick, easy-to-make recipes along with great cooking tips, a community blog and a directory of other excellent foodie and cooking blogs. Whether you are an experienced cook or you are making your first venture into the kitchen, this site has great recipes that you will enjoy preparing and eating! We hope that you will check it out and add some of your favorite recipes to the mix. Also, if you have a food blog, this is the place to list it and to connect with readers and other writers who are interested in what you are blogging about.

Here is Chef Clive at BlogWorld Expo 2009 speaking about the connection between food and socializing, how connecting with others over a shared meal is such an important part of our world's many cultures and how HalfHourmeals.com can help the even the busiest of us find time to participate in these important rituals.

Chef Clive and HalfHourMeals at BlogWorld 09

True fashionistas are constantly on the hunt for unique pieces that help them express their own original and distinct style. Sure we love a pair of L.A.M.B. heels and saving money by nabbing a trendy little number at Forever 21. But in order to avoid looking like everyone else, we enjoy incorporating one-of-a-kind and vintage pieces into our wardrobe and accessories collection.

It used to be that we raided the closets and jewelry boxes of our mothers, aunts and grandmothers, shopped estate sales and thrift stores, and scoured the pages of Ebay in search of something special. But now we have Etsy, which gives us the convenience of shopping online and makes us feel as though we've stumbled upon an interesting combination of a craft show and antique shop filled with wonderful treasures. Etsy.com genuinely fills a shopping void that previously existed in the lives of fashionistas whose mission it was to appear originally styled.

From handmade pieces to vintage designs, unique items are in abundance at Etsy. Shoes, handbags, apparel, outwear, jewelry and more – you'll find it all. You'll even find pretty supplies, if you're interested in designing your own indie creations. Currently the amount of Etsy sellers spans the globe with buyers and sellers coming from more than 150 countries. Etsy sellers number in the hundreds of thousands, so there are plenty of options for the particular fashionista.

Because of the many options, shopping Etsy can be an overwhelming process that may be simplified by using the Etsy search engine. However, Etsy shoppers should also consider bookmarking and actively visiting the following Etsy-enthusiast blogs.

Indie Finds on Etsy
Find the best of Etsy supplies and tutorials and read interviews with Etsy sellers.

Etsy Profiles
Discover individual Etsy sellers, learn about what they make and sell and read their profiles.

Love Etsy Feedback
This blog focuses on Etsy sellers who have outstanding feedback and great products. Featured artists often post discounts and giveaways, too.

Etsy Twitter Team Blog
The Etsy Twitter Team blog is designed to help sellers by bringing together Etsy sellers who use Twitter together to become the Twitter authority on all things handmade. But as a shopper, you benefit from reading this blog and discovering Etsy sellers and their unique items.

European Street Team
Discover an array of designs and creations from around the world.

Handmade Vintage Necklace with White Glass Pearls
designed by ebruck Supplies from Istanbul
and featured on European Street Team.

I have to make two admissions up front before we talk about this blog.

First, I've never been a real big fan of blogger blogs for a "real" blog. You know I've always viewed them as traffic devices and splog spots. I've owned thousands of them at one time and another, but they were where I put the stuff I didn't really care that much about.

Second, I've never been a real fan of photoblogs. I mean, you know, it's pictures. I'm a words guy. I like words. I love the language. Pictures are nice to compliment your storie with, but as the focal point of the work? I just didn't ever really get that.

Bernie Krausse's Northwest Natural Moments Photoblog is a blog that has moved me from that position some small measure.

Now, I'm not ready to load down my Google reader with photoblogs, by any stretch, But I did create a special folder in it and subscribe to Bern's blog. I may add some more to it from time to time.

I just found these photos of nature from in and around Bern's stomping grounds up in the North West so relaxing and peaceful, and yet at the same time so energetic and wondrous.

I particularly enjoyed the flight category. I simply can't imagine how he captures these images, but I swear I almost expected the finches to hop out of the screen and finish their quarrel on my keyboard. The Eagle in Flight; I can only say I would probably be willing to pay good money to have a print mounted in my study.

I loved the reed with the snow on it's head. These are very candid shots of nature. They aren't what I'm used to seeing. And the sheer volume of action contained in some of these still shots makes me marvel that such a thing is possible.

I may not know much about photography, but I know what I like. And Bern has captured it in these pages.

So this year's BlogWorld Expo is over and now it's time to start sorting through all of the information and experiences I had there and sharing the best of them with you. If you happened to read the review I did of Cirque Du Soleil's LOVE, then you know I really enjoyed it. It was definitely one of the high points of my trip and I have had the Beatles on the brain ever since.

After a late flight home last night, I woke up this morning…OK, this afternoon…with All You Need is Love running through my mind. And, I began thinking about how my LOVE experience, and this song in particular, could be valuable to bloggers. After pondering this during my car ride to work, I came up with a fairly simple idea. I thought I would break down the lyrics of All You Need is Love and explain the connections I found between them and blogging--believe me it can be done.

First, let's start with the three main verses:

There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game.
It's easy.

Nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time.
It's easy.

Nothing you can know that isn't known.
Nothing you can see that isn't shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.
It's easy.

Listen to All You Need is Love

When I read the first two lines of the first verse, what hits me is the fact that our potential is limitless. I could just as easily add "Nothing you can blog that can't be blogged," although I don't think that's quite as poetic. The point is you can do anything, and when it comes to blogging you can write about anything.

Are you fascinated by the mating habits of ants? Write about it. Are you fascinated by the many varieties of mustaches? Write about it. Can you simply not learn enough about Snuggies? Write about it. Many successful bloggers are niche bloggers; so find what interests you and write about it. You may be pleasantly surprised by the number of people who share your interest.

The first two lines of the second verse seem to echo the sentiment expressed by the ones in the first verse. The line that catches my attention is the final line of this verse:

Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time.
It's Easy.

What I take from this is that each of us has a very unique personality and a unique writing style that we can discover. It may take some time, but I think as bloggers begin to write more and more, they find that it becomes easier and easier to connect with the creative voice inside and express themselves in a creative and engaging manner. And, when we take a look back at how our writing has progressed over months or years, this progression is quite evident and we'll realize it was very natural and effortless.

The final line of the third verse also holds some meaning for bloggers. Actually it holds meaning for just about anyone:

Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.

This line applies to bloggers because we all need to realize that no matter where we are with our writing it is exactly where we need to be. If, for instance, things are rolling right along, then enjoy it. It is probably a reflection of the hard work you've put into your blog. If you are struggling with your writing, then maybe there is a lesson you need to take from the experience about how to better organize your thoughts or how to create an environment that allows you to focus more on the task at hand. Just know that wherever you find yourself, it is the only place you can be and there must be a reason you're there. If it is a good place enjoy it. If it is a hard place, then there is usually a valuable lesson that can be learned there and applied to get to somewhere better.

The chorus of this song goes, "All you need is love, love. Love is all you need." What I take away from this is simple. If you love writing, love sharing and love connecting with people, then that is all you need. People who blog for money can be good. People who blog for recognition can be good. It is, however, the bloggers who blog for the love of it that are truly great!

Blogcatalog and Broowaha a community of citizen journalists who publish online a growing citizen newspaper today announced that Blogcatalog has become an investor and partner in Broowaha. Yesterday, Broowaha launched a beta version of its new site with expanded functions and improved user interface.

Tony Berkman, the CEO of BlogCatalog indicated that the sites complement each other well with significant synergies and efficiencies that will be achieved quickly. He has been looking for a platform that could serve Blogcatalog’s community’s members who have a desire to extend or expand their writings as journalists or as creative writers.  This led to discussions about partnering with Broowaha which was founded a few years ago by Ariel Vardi as a citizen newspaper with a local news orientation.

Tony explains “we intend to work with Ariel to bring new features and services to the Broowaha writing community and to integrate the site with Blogcatalog. We see a bright future for online citizen newspapers and believe that many of our members will join broowaha’s writer community. This will provide them with additional exposure as writers and an additional community to interact with and where they can improve their writing skills.”

Ariel points to a major challenge that Broowaha faced that will be addressed by the partnership with Blogcatalog. “We had developed a strong community of dedicated and avid citizen journalists. However, we needed to gain more exposure for them and the site in order to grow. Without the traffic to the site, all the good writing would receive less recognition than it deserved. The opportunity for us is now and so we acted. Blogcatalog is one of the best sites for serving a community. It has a large membership of writers and is one of the most visited web sites in the world. In my mind a perfect fit.”

According to Tony, “Ariel has the vision for the site which we believe in. We intend to listen to him and the Community to continue to improve the site. We will add our resources to help make the site a preeminent destination for writers who are journalists as well as creative authors to showcase their work and for readers who are seeking the best citizen newspaper."

When coming to Las Vegas, how does one decide which of the many great shows to see? For me that decision was easy. Like many people, I love the Beatles and there was no way I was passing up on seeing Cirque Du Soleil's LOVE. LOVE is a celebration of the Beatle's musical legacy and the love that they inspired through their music.

Arriving at The Mirage on Thursday night to see the show, I was already excited about my first Cirque Du Soleil experience. My excitement grew as I waited for my tickets and the audience from the previous show was passing by. Everyone was all smiles and their was a happy buzz in the air. People exiting the theater were telling people waiting to get in that the show was "amazing," and was "the best show I've seen." One woman, obviously ecstatic about what she had just seen was on the phone with one of her children telling him to round up his siblings and come get tickets right away. They all had to see this show before they left! At this point my imagination began working and I wondered what it was about this show that had everyone leaving so happy and excited. About an hour later I found out.

LOVE is a magical experience. A brilliant mix of sound, light, color, movement and the bizarre that made me feel as if I had been lifted from the Nevada desert and dropped into another universe--a psychedelic version of Mary Poppins, meets Alice in Wonderland, meets The Yellow Submarine is the best way I can describe it. Characters like dancing teens and hippies shared the stage with other-worldy characters like the 3-armed man holding an umbrella and shouting incoherently at no one, the Sgt. Pepper-esque band leader, and the Queen who often hung above the stage on a golden circle surveying everything going on below.

One thing that sets LOVE apart from any show I have seen before is the unique use of space. Most shows I have seen take place on a stage at the front of the theater and actors conventionally enter from the left or right. Well, LOVE has people dropping from the rafters, popping up from underneath the stage, and entering from one of six side entrances. There was just as much action happening in the air above the stage as there was on the stage itself, and at times there is so much going on in the air and on the stage that there is no way one person can take it all in. I truly believe you could see this show several times and never see the same show twice.

I could probably write an entire book telling you how amazing every aspect of this show was. From the stage design to the costumes, the acrobatics to the dancing, the lighting to the wonderful way the Beatles' music was used...it was all brilliant. If you love the Beatles, you have to see this show. Even if you don't love the Beatles, you should probably see this show. I don't know if it is because I just saw LOVE and am still reeling from the experience or if it really was just that great, but I am going to go ahead and say that this is by far the most entertaining show I have ever seen. I really loved it and I highly recommend checking it out if you have the chance.

Thank you to Jessica Berlin and Cirque Du Soleil for providing me with tickets to the show. As a BlogWorld attendee I was given the opportunity to see the show in return for a review on our blog. Thank you for this great opportunity and thank you for supporting bloggers!

Alex's Lemonade Stand is an organization that is helping to help beat childhood cancer. The foundation operates on the philosophy that "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade." The inspiration for the foundation is a young girl, Alexandra "Alex" Scott, who began raising money to help cure cancer through a lemonade stand in her neighborhood while undergoing cancer treatments. Alex ultimately lost her battle with the cancer, but did accomplish her goal of raising $1 million to help beat cancer. Alex's Lemonade Stand continues to raise money for curing childhood cancer just as Alex did--by simply selling lemonade. Check out their site and send out a tweet using the hashtag #beatcancer to help set a world record!